Who Are Angel Reese's Parents? A Look at the Athletic Duo Behind the WNBA Star
By Jocelyn Alano September 29, 2025 11:52
Angel Reese, the Chicago Sky's rebounding sensation and one of the WNBA's most marketable talents, didn't just inherit her height or her competitive fire—she got it straight from her parents. Born on May 6, 2002, in Randallstown, Maryland, Reese grew up in a household where basketball wasn't just a game; it was a legacy. Her parents, Michael Reese and Angel Webb Reese, both former college athletes, instilled in her a love for the sport that propelled her from local courts to national stardom. As Reese enters her second WNBA season amid playoff pushes and endorsement empires, her family's influence remains a cornerstone of her story. Here's everything to know about the power couple who raised a phenom.
Meet Angel Webb Reese: The "Big Angel" Who Taught Her to Hoop
Angel Webb Reese—affectionately nicknamed "Big Angel" to distinguish her from her daughter—is the matriarch of the Reese basketball dynasty. A towering 6-foot forward in her playing days, she suited up for the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) Retrievers women's basketball team during the 1980s and 1990s. Her on-court dominance was so legendary that UMBC retired her No. 10 jersey, a number her daughter Angel proudly wore at LSU and now honors in the pros. After college, Webb Reese took her talents overseas, playing professionally in Luxembourg, where she honed the skills that would one day inspire her kids.
Beyond the court, Webb Reese has been the unwavering backbone of her family. When she and Michael separated during the children's early years, she raised Angel and her younger brother, Julian, as a single mom in Randallstown. Reese has often credited her mother's sacrifices for fueling her drive, once telling Women's Health that choosing the University of Maryland for her freshman year was "payback" for Webb Reese's hard work—keeping her close for games and securing a full scholarship. "She taught me how to play," Reese said of her mom, emphasizing the backyard battles and life lessons that shaped her resilience.
The duo's bond shines in public moments, like their courtside celebrations during LSU's 2023 NCAA championship run or Reese's tearful embrace after her WNBA draft selection. In a heartfelt episode of her podcast Unapologetically Angel in January 2025, Reese surprised her mom with a birthday gift for the ages: paying off her mortgage and "retiring" her from financial worries. "I miss our time together, but I'm so proud of you," Webb Reese replied, a sentiment that underscores their unbreakable tie. Today, the elder Angel remains a fixture at her daughter's games, blending fierce support with the same swagger that earned her hall-of-fame status.
Michael Reese: The Overseas Pro Who Sparked the Family's Athletic Spark
Michael Reese, Angel's father, brought his own hoops pedigree to the family table. A skilled guard, he played college basketball at Boston College and later at Loyola University Maryland, where he sharpened his game before going pro. Like his ex-wife, Michael ventured abroad, suiting up for teams in Luxembourg, Cyprus, Austria, and Portugal—countries that became proving grounds for his competitive edge and positive energy.
Though less visible in Angel's day-to-day spotlight, Michael's influence lingers in the Reese DNA. He and Webb Reese share a deep-rooted basketball tradition from Baltimore, where the sport was "more than a pastime—it was a way of life." Angel has spoken sparingly about her dad, noting in interviews that her parents' separation when she was young shifted the family dynamic. Raised primarily by her mom and maternal grandparents, Curtis and Barbara Webb, Reese's connection to Michael appears more distant, with reports indicating limited contact during her formative years. Still, she acknowledges the athletic genes he passed down, which echo in her brother Julian's collegiate career at Maryland and even in stepbrother Mikael Hopkins' pro stint with Italy's Reggio Emilia.
Michael's story adds layers to Angel's narrative of resilience, highlighting how she forged her path amid personal complexities. As she told ESPN, "Most of my family plays basketball, so I kind of had to play"—a nod to the inescapable legacy from both sides.
A Family Affair: Siblings, Grandparents, and the Reese Hoops Tradition
The Reeses aren't just parents; they're part of a sprawling athletic clan. Angel's younger brother, Julian Reese, is a rising star at the University of Maryland, donning the family's sacred No. 10 and racking up double-doubles in the Big Ten. "Number 10 is just our number, really," Julian told Just Women's Sports. "When you see No. 10, you see the Reese family." Their backyard scrimmages growing up were fierce, pushing each other toward greatness—Julian even credits Angel for toughening him up.
Grandparents Curtis and Barbara Webb stepped in as key figures, helping raise Angel and Julian while instilling values of hard work and humility. The extended family extends to aunts, uncles, and cousins who all laced up, from high school standouts to overseas pros. Reese's cousin, UConn's Jordan Hawkins, keeps the connection alive in the NBA. This tight-knit unit, rooted in Baltimore's basketball-rich soil, has been Angel's emotional anchor through the highs of national titles and the lows of a wrist injury that sidelined her in 2024.
Legacy in Motion: How Her Parents Shaped a WNBA Icon
Angel Reese's parents didn't just give her a name and a jumper—they equipped her with the grit to shatter records, like her single-season rebound mark in 2024. From Webb Reese's hall-of-fame hustle to Michael's global grind, their stories mirror Angel's own: turning talent into triumph despite obstacles. As she eyes WNBA playoffs and her Reebok signature line, Reese often reflects on family as her "why." "My whole family played basketball... it kind of was like, 'You’re gonna do this,'" she shared with Just Women's Sports. With parents like Michael and Angel Webb Reese, it's no wonder she's owning the court—and the conversation.
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